Soaring aeroplane.



J. W. RUBEN.

SOARING AEHOPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED lULY 19, ms.

Patented May 8, 1917.

JOHN WOLDEMAR RUBEN, OF PORTLAND, OREGO N.

SOABING AEROPLAN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8,1917;

Application filed July 19, 1915. Serial No. 4 3,787.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN" WOLDEMAR RUBEN, a subject of Russia, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Soaring Aeroplane, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in heavier than, air flying machines in which, by the combination of air pressure and gravity I obtain forward motion; and the ob-. jects of my invention are: first, to provide means for soaring flight as practised by the birds; second, to provide a flying machine that will maintain its equilibrium in all conditions having very high lateral and longitudinal stability and always will keep in proper angle of incidence with respect to the head ressure; third, to rovide a flying machine with high lifting capacity;

fourth to provide a flying machine with very little head friction and fifth, to provide means for flying against the strong winds as well as with the wind, thus overcoming conditions known as air pockets which are nothing but strong rear gusts.

' To attain these results I use mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a view of the front elevation of the machine, Fig. 2 a plan view, Fig. 3 a side view and Fig. 4 a view of the wing controlling mechanism. Referring to the drawings in detail, (7 indicates the body or frame of the device which is. torpedo shaped and covered with any suitable material adapted to inclose pilots seat (1), steering wheel (2) and motor (3) which is to rotate a propeller (5) placed on front of the machine. Two main planes (6) are projecting upward from the body in dihedral angle of 150 on the leading margin and s 127 on the rear margin of the planes. Said planes being pterygoidal, are rather wide, close to the body, sloped down very narrow to the outer ti s in high aspect ratio; Each of the main anes consists of two diversely inclined surfiices, pro ortions of which surfaces can be increase or descreased according to increased or decreased angle of the diversely inclined surfaces relatively to the angle of the main planes with respect to each other as said planes are pivotally secured at (4) and adapted to swing in a horizontal line along tlielongitudinal axis of the body. The main planes are arch' shaped, curved slightly close to the body but morepronoum edly at the outer extremities; each plane cor iprises two lateral wing bars (17) and (14) respectively, connected with cross bars or'libs and covered on both sides with any suit able fabric. (16) of the rear bars (14:), representing about one half of the total length are of some flexible c Jnstructiom'preferably of fiat steel spring that would bend upwardly in the middle by pulling on wires (32), fas tened on the wing tips and actuated by the steering mecl anism. The. centers of the flexible parts [16) are adapted not to bend downwardly and when the actuating wires are loose they will follow the line of curvature of the blIS (17); by pulling on the Wires (32) declination of the parts (16) will be increased and decreased by letting the wires lO0S( thus increasing the angle between two dist inctly inclined surfaces necessary for any p: articular head pressure. Cross ribs of the flexible portions are loosely secured to the wing b: IS in order to yield when the angle betweeI two vdiversely inclined surfaces is altere l.

Outer portions 1 To actuate ihe wings I provide the mechanism illustra .ed in Fig. 4. On the rod (29) adapted to re( eive steering wheel (2), drum 30 is securely placed, "around which wires (31) are wound in the same direction, eachend of the sad wires being secured to the shifting rods (8) at (34) and (35) respectlvely; by rot iting the steering wheel with the drum on .ts shaft, the main planes are.

shifted forward or backward as the rods (8) are loosely connected to the cross ribs "(10) at point (9). I employ this device for the shifting of the main planes along the longitudinal axis of the body with respect to each other, in order to keep in longitudinal stability :nd to obtain the best soaring angle in any )articular head pressure, also, i

for the vertic: ,l steering with conjunctlon of flexible surfa es on the outer tips which are actuated by t 1e wires (32) wound on drum (30) in the nanner that they are tightened when main panes are swept backward and loosened wheii the main planes are moved forward thus allowing the elastic part of the outer porions to come to normal.

For the pul pose of the shiftingof themain planes in dit'erent angles, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body, necessaryfor the horiz )ntal steering, I provide bars (12'), shaped like the arc of a circle, loosely connected with the main planes passing steering wheel i with chine would soar up at a very steep angle,

of wings backward, the

-the upwardly but by the shifting through the slots (13), slidable with the steering rod (29) but adapted to be interlocked or released with said steering rod at the operators will,'for which purpose any interlocking means can be used.

Bars (12) are connected to steering rod (29) above the point Where said rod is connected by a joint to one of the bars in bottom of the body in a manner to turn around said rod (29) with steering wheel (2) and also, to swing to right or left. Thus, with aid of the bars (12), the angle between the longitudinal axis of the body and each wing respectively is increased or out variation of angular relations between distinctly inclined surfaces.

In addition with two main planes Iemploy a horizontal rudder (18) actuated between trusses (20) by the wires (23) which passing through'the pulleys on the ends of bar (21), are connected with the second (33) placed in the hood on the left side of the pilots seat. Trusses (20) and (22) are secured to the rear extremity of the chassis. ,The shape of this'rudderis that of an elongated circle, pointed down in the direction of advance with sufficient .surface area and leverage to keep the whole machine in horizontal line.

Eor the starting and alighting purposes I prefer to use two front wheels (24) secured to the body by rods (25) and (26) respectively. A third wheel (27) is placed under the rear end of the body, secured to the tail by rods (28).

The operation of the device is as follows When the steering wheel (2) with drum (30) on its shaft is rotated in the:'way so the main planes are swept back, pull 'Will be exerted 'on the fie'xible parts of the outer tips of the wings by wires (32) as said wires are wound around the same drum This will cause the outer portions of the Wings to take a negative angle with respect to upwardly inclined parts, increasing this angle when the planes are moved backward and decreasing when the planes are-shifted forward. By shifting the main planes back ward until the downwardly inclined parts of the outer tips of the'planes come behind inclined center-this being in an angle. of 6 with respect. to the horizontal, I obtain very high lifting capacity.

If the center of gravity. were coincident the center of pressure, the whole macenter of gravity is placed way in front of the-center of pressure. Thus by the aid of gravity," the steep upward climb is converted into straight horizontal soaring, provided, sufficient head pressure is supplied by the wind orby propelling the whole through the air. To keep in the best angle of soaradence. 7 far as soaring and steering, in normal condecreased with-- suitable for horizontal 'per ect equilibrium.

bility andto maintain longitudinal stability the main planes are shifted backward when the head pressure increases and forward when the head pressure decreases.

In order to execute soarin it to provide a horizontal rud er for the purpose of keeping whole machine in a horizontal line and in proper angle of inci- This rudder might be stationary as ditions are concerned but to meet abnormal conditions of flying, I have provided means for vertical actuating .of this rudder around a horizontal axis.

Vertical steering is accomplished by the forward and backward movement of the is necessary main planes; when the center of gravity is brought in front of the center of pressure by moving mainplanes backward, the machine will tend to glide down and the oppositewill take place when by the shifting of wings forward, the center of gravity is placed behind the center of pressure. Horizontal steering, also, is accomplished by the shifting of the mainplanes onl for this purpose the angular relation 0 the main planes with respect to each other, as well as theangle ,between two diversely inclined surfaces remains unchanged while the angle of each plane, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body, swinging. of the steerin (29), to the right or 1e t as the shaft (29) is adapted to engage bars (12) which are connectedto the main planes in any manner shiftin 'ofthe main planes. By the swingin .o the steering wheel with shaft. (29) to t e. right, the right .is changed by thewheel with shaftwing will be advanced forwardly while the left plane IWlll ,be moved backwardly and this will cause the whole machine to turn to the right 'as' the more advanced "right wing will be retarded, at the same time presenting more of the downwardly inclined area to the head pressure, said wing willtend to sink down and consequently raise the. other win thus p'e'rform' ga horizontal turn in Reverse will take wing is swung to the left.

To' add. to the stability the center of place w en steering,

gravity-is placed belowf the sustainingsur faces, which are more curved, are

v rojecting. below the center of weight.

he above de? scribed combination of the surfaces enables me to operate'my device with one half of the power used on'present flying machines or will double the speed if full power is employed. I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described and shown in accompanying drawings as it is obvious that these details may be modified without departing from the principles of only the outer tips of the main planes,

\ my invention. For instance, while'I prefer a the construction illustrated in which on9 trolling of the main planes is accomplished by the sliding rods (8) with combination of the wires,the same results maybe obtained by different gearing or by the spring made toyield to certain air pressures and s ifting the wings accordingly. In the same 'way the flexible parts 16) of the main planes could be constructe in several distinct ways.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1- angle, fast with respect to the vertical axis,

movable in a wide angle along the longitudinal axis of the ,body; said planes being helicoidal each consisting of two diversely inclined surfaces each half of the length of the wing inclined in a negative angle with respect to the other half, means for 1rrcreasing or decreasing the angular relations between two diversely inclined surfaces, means for moving the main planes along the longitudinal axis of the body in unison with the variation of the angle of inclination of the negatively inclined surfaces on the outer wing tips, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 7

2. In a soaring aeroplane of the character described comprising a torpedo-like body, two pterygoidal, arch shaped planes projecting upwardly from the body in a dihedral. angle, fast with respect to the vertical axis, movable in a wide angle along the lohgitudinal axis of the'bo'dy; said planes being helicoidal each consisting of two diversely inclined surfaces, each half of the length of the plane inclined in a negative angle with respect to the other half, means stantially for increasing or decreasing the. angular relationsbetween tvo diversely inclined s'ur-- faces, means for moving the main planes along the longitudinal axis of the body in unison with the x'ariati on of the angle of inclination of the negatively inclined surfaces on the outer wing tips, and means for shifting each-of th e main planes in an angle with respectto th: longitudinal axis of the .bodyindependenty of the downwardly inclinedsurfaces for thepurpose of horizontal steering. j a

3. In a soaring aeroplaneof the character described comprising a torpedo-like body, two pterygoidal, arch shaped planes rojecting upwardly from the bodyin a dihe- ,dral angle, fast with respect to the vertical axis, movable in a wide angle along the longitudinal axis of the body'; said planes beinghelicoidalw ith high. aspect ratio, each consisting of two diversely inclined surfaces, each half of the li ngth of the wing inclined in a negative angla with respect tothe other half, means for in creasing or decreasingthe angular relations between two diversely inclined surfaces, means for the moving of main planes along; the longitudinal axis of the body in unisor with the variations of the angle of inclinaton of the negatively inclined surfaces on the outer wing tips, means for the shifting each of the'main planes in an angle with nspect to the longitud nal axis of the body i idependently of the downwarclly inclined inrfaces; above described surfaces in a com nation w1th a horizontal rudder adapted to keep the main supporting planes in a p roper angle of attack, and

means for mani; ulating saidrudder, subas and :For the purpose specified. JOHN lVOLDEMAR RUBEN. Witnesses:

- E. B. DUI OR,

B. F. Fnnus'mnj 

